Telephone holder



Jan. 22, 1935. B. M. MORRIS 1,988,697

' TELEPHONE HOLDER Filed Feb. 21, 193-3 2 Sheets-Sheet l 7 '25 1 ATTORNEY Jan. 22, 1935. B, M, MQRR|$ 7 1,988,697

TELEPHONE HOLDER FiledF'eb 21, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. fizzrMMazzzs,

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ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 22 1935 H TELEPnoNaHoLnEn M .'Morris,"Los Angelesgfdalit W I Application Far-W521, .1933, set-ant. 657,501 J 8 Claims. (01. 248-29,)

"This invention pertains to telephoneholders, and more particularly toa telephone holder that may be secured to the top of a desk, table or stand adapted to receive the round or elliptical shaped bases of the modern portable 'telephone instruments.

A principal feature of my mvention is to provide means for' supporting a telephone at substantially-the desk level, without utilizing valuable desk space and so positioned; that the telephone stand may be slid on and off the stand on to the desk without-lifting.

Another object of my invention is to provide clamping'means that are engaged by the telephone base when in position on the stand to secure it against displacement from any ordinary contact.

Another object of my inventionis to providea stand having adjustable clamping means adapt-- able to be set to properly engage either the lOlIIld or elliptical bases of telephone stands, and

to increase the holding'tension-on base when necessary and that combine clamping and guide means to firmly retain the telephone base when placed in the stand."

Another object of my inventionis' to provide a telephone stand adjustable to difierent thicknesses of desk. tops and that may be -*firmly clamped" thereto. Another object of my inven clamping means for securing it to'a desk, and that will project substantially from the desk tion is to provide a telephone holder having an unusually rigid and thereby remove the telephone from thetop of theidesk and leavefree' valuable space for use for other purposes, while at the same time maintaining the telephone in ient'position for use.

Another object of my inven mental, constructed of substantial and durable the most convention is to provide a telephone holder combining utility with simpl'icity, having Y no movable parts to cause wear and replacement that' will be sightly and ornamaterials, and thatmay be constructed economically.

With the above and other objects whichmay hereinafter become apparent, in view, the invention consists in the novel and'usefulprovision, formation, construction, association, and interrelation of parts, members and features, all as'shown in a certain embodiment, which I at present' deem preferable, in the accompanying drawings, 2 sheets, described generally, and more particularly pointed out in the In 5 the drawingsappended claims,

- Fig. 1 discloses in side elevations. fragment of a deskjmy new'telephon'e holder secured thereto supporting a telephone instrument thereon; Fig. 2'is'a, plan view of myholder as posihang of the'holder.'- i

Fig. 3 is a-"sectional-viewf of" the holderfrom the side taken on irregular lines 39-3! in Fig. Fig. 4 isa sectional view ofa modifiedforirr of the clamping means including adjustable iiea- Fig.5; is an .tioned against ,a desk top, disclosing" the overinverted plan view of the holder disclosing the clamping means for the holder,

and the adjustable guides'fo'r the telephon'e base.

' Heretofore telephones have customarily stood directly on desks, takin'gup spacevaluable for other purposes,-and have been moved here-and there over a desk to make roomfo'r other articles, or have been supported-by' 'separated" tables or other means adjacent the desk, placed as convenient as possible to the desk but alwaysfbeing in the way, liable todamage to the instrument through falls, etc; andespecially-so as to'the type of telephone'illustrated in the appended drawings has a more delicate mechanism "and construction than the types formerly used this type of telephone becoming more generally-used requires a more convenient and safer support than the former telephone instruments; f

To the end of providing a safer and more convenient support for the telephone especially adapted to support-the present type of telephone instrument I have provided thetelephon'e holder disclosed in the appended drawings in'whioh I secure the holder tothe top of the desk, table,

stand, or other means of support where" it is desired to use the telephone, having the base-of the stand substantially the sameelevation asthe desk that the-instrument may. be slid on and off the stand directly from the:desk'topwithout I requiring that the instrument be lifted, providing also that the holder overhang the edQe 'of the desk; and'thereby'remove the instrum'ent substantially from the topiof the desk, while main 7 7 taining .it in the-most convenient position' fo r use, a 1 7 Referring to thedrawingsin Fig.1, I'sho wj a side elevation of the holder .10 secured tothe edge of a desk .11 and supporting a telephone instrument '12. I 1 I W The holder 10 comprises the flat base or plate 13 constructed of sufficiently heavy material, preferably steel, that it will not bend or give under the strain of the Work 1 that "will be imposed upon it. The plate 13 is-- -substantial1y elliptical in shape as shown in Fig. 2, and the top of the plate 13 being above the level of the desk 11 the thickness of the metal comprising the plate 13.

Opp site tothe edge l4 and to either side of the center a 'ggme members 16, which are pivoted to the-underneath side of the plate 13 by means of rivets 17 or other convenient fastening means. The guide members 16 extend'from the rivets 17 and have slots 18 adapted to pass set screws 19 which extend therethrough andare engaged in the plate 13, and uponbeing'tight ened secure the guide members 16 'firmly" in an adaptedto have a convenient tool inserted into The guide members 16 extend to the edge 20" adjusted position.

of the plate .13, are shaped to extend upwardly to form the guides21 and are curved tosubstantially fit the base 22 of. the telephone, and have adjacent to edge 14 of the plate 13 extending .portionswhichform the spring arms 23 adapted to engage the telephone base 22 with sufiicient tension that normaljarring of the instrument bycontact therewith by passing objects will not dislodge the instrumentfrom its position on the .holder 10. f I

The guides 21 are further provided with upwardly and inwardly. extending ,portions 24 which function as addition guide members and are adapted to engage the telephone base 22 above the curved point 25 thereon and prevent the telephone base 22 being tipped up and slipping over theedgeZO of the holder 10.

As recitedrthe guidemembers 16 are adjustableon the pivot rivets;. 17 for the purpose of spacing the guide-members. 16and their attendant parts to permit their use with two types of telephone bases;now in use, namely round and elliptical. The guidepmembers 16 are adjusted to the position indicated in Fig. '2 by the. broken lines-26: for use with the round type of telephone baseyand to the. position in. the same figure showniinthe solid lines 27," and in both positionsthe-parts of the guide members 16 designed to engage the telephone stands will'be' in position to properly-function. The play of. .the spring arms :23is'indicated by the broken lines 28. The widthof the plate 13 between edges 14 and 20 issubstantially the widthacross the-base l5;of, ,both types. of telephone instruments and means such as welding, and is made of a separate piece of metal and. secured thereto inpre ferment to stamping out a section of plate'13 and, utilizing the, extended. piece for part of the clamping, means I, as *"it" is desired to maintain the plate 13 in an integral. piece,.and as additional structure would be required to extend the clamping means to provide suflicient structure for clamping purposes: and 'as such additions would be cumbersome andunsightly the structure disclosedis preferred as beingmcre sightly endpra tica -i The clamping member 30 has a section 32 formed to lie fiat against the plate 13, then a section 33 extending at right angles therefrom downwardly a sufficient distance to provide the clamping member to encompass the desk top 29, then a section 34 extending at right angles from the section 33 toward the edge 14 a sufiioient distance to provide the proper support for a set screw 35 which is threaded into the section 34 and has a loosely connected foot '36 attached to the inner end thereof adapted to contact the under side of the desk top 29 and upon being I tightened firmly clamp the desk top 29 between the said foot 36 and the under side of plate 13.- 'The foot 36 is provided with projecting teeth 37 forengaging the desk 29 and preventing slipping. j The other end of screw 35 is provided with any suitable head such as the head 38 the holes 39 to tighten the screw 35. The clamping-means 30 whenin positionagainst the desk top 29 and tightened by means of screw 35 formsa U clamp between the clamping means 3Q and the plate 13, and as recited, the plate 13 is constructed of material of sufiicient thickness and stability that when the clamping member 30 is made of the same materialand is assembled thereto they unite in one unitary structure to, formthe recited U clamping means of the required stability that the holder 10 will be firmly positioned'and held when clamp 30 is tightened against a desk top.

In Fig. 4 I disclose a modification of the clamping means comprising an adjustable feature provided to be used Where my holder may be required to be moved at times to desks or tables having radically different thicknesses. There provided a supporting member 40 securedrto the plate 13 by the recited rivets 32 or, byxwelding and this member is extended downwardly-at right angles to-Hform the supporting member for the, adjustable clamping memberv 41 which is shaped. similar to the recited sections 33 and 34 of the clamp30 and provided with a similar screw 35. r

a To provide for securing the two members 40 and 41 together thereare. provided set screws 42 threaded into member 40 and passing through slots 43 in member 41, thus member41 can be set at the required position and tightened to member 41 by the screws 42.

Itfis intended that where it is desired the holder 10 may be secured to a bracket at the side of'the desk, or to an arm, not'shown, where the member40 in Fig. 4 may be secured to the arm by any convenient means. While the stand illustrated lends itself for use particularly in supporting a telephone as disclosed in Fig. 1,-many other uses for such a holder may readily befound, and certain modifications in adapting it to use with other telephones or instruments of different shape may well be made by one versed in the art without departing from my invention as defined in the appended claims.

-I claim: i

.1. A telephone 'holderrcomprising a plate, clamping means secured centrally to the said plate forming a U-clamp between said means and said plate to secure said plate to the top of a support and'permit a portion of said plate.

to extend beyond the .support,,a beveled edge on said plate, and guide meansron said plate comprising opposed adjustable. members having spring portions at either side of and extending upwardly from said plate to engage a telephone stand placed therebetween.

2. A telephone holder comprising a plate, clamping means centrally secured to said plate to secure said plate to and over a support permitting a portion of said plate to overhang said support, guide means pivoted to the under side of said plate and extending around and above said plate, and means on the bottom of said plate to secure said guide means in an adjusted position. i

3. A telephone holder comprising a plate,

clamping means centrally secured to'said plate to clamp said plate onto a support permitting said plate to reside partly on the support and partly to overhang the support, guide means at either side of said plate on the overhanging portion pivoted to the under side of said plate and extending beyond and above the edge of said plate to form guide members having spring elements formed thereon to engage the base portion of a telephone receiver supported by said plate,v when positioned on a support by said clamping means.

4. A telephone holder comprising a plate, clamping means extending from the central portion of the lower side of said plate forming a U-clamp between said means and said plate to secure said plate to the top of a support and permit a portion of said plate to extend beyond the support, a bevelled edge on the portion of said plate resting on the support, and guide means on said plate pivoted to the under side thereof and having means to secure said guide means in an adjusted position, said guide means extending beyond and above said plate to form curved guide members having spring members formed at one side thereof to engage the vertical portions of a telephone base placed therebetween on said plate and having additional slanting spring members above said guide members to engage the sloping side sections of said telephone base.

5. A telephone holder comprising a plate hav ing a plain upper surface, clamping means secured to said plate to secure said plate to a support, adjustable guide means pivoted to the bottom of and below said plate and extending around and above said plate, spring gripping .members attached to said guide means, and.

means attached to said'plate including a screw operating in a slot to secure said guide means in an adjusted position.

6. A telephone holder comprising a plate having a plain upper surface, clamping means secured to said plate to secure said plate on a support, adjustable guide means pivoted at one side to the bottom of said plate, spring means secured to said guide means extending upwardly around said plate and inwardly therefrom to grip and hold therebetween a telephone base, and screw means on the bottom of said .plate operating as a securing means in a slot in said guide means at the side of said pivot.

7. A telephone holder comprising a plate having a plain upper surface, clamping means secured to said plate to secure said plate on a support, adjustableguide means pivoted to the bottom of said plate extending outwardly of said plate and upwardly to position a telephone base by said guide means on said plate, and set screw means on the bottom of said plate operating in a slot to secure said guide means in an adjusted position.

8. A telephone holder comprising a plate having a plain upper surface, clamping means on said plate to secure said plate to a support, adjustable guide means, on said plate comprising spaced opposed members pivoted to the under side of said plate adjustable on said pivotsand extending outwardly and upwardly of said plate, screw means on said plate operating in a slot to secure said guide means in an adjusted position, and spring members secured to said guide means and extending upwardly and horizontally therefrom slanting inwardly to grip therebetween a telephone base when placed on the plain upper surface of said plate.

BERT M. MORRIS. 

